Unveiling Choroid Plexus Changes in Multiple Sclerosis using 7T MRI

Motivation: Conventional imaging limits the assessment of choroid plexus (ChP) inflammatory activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Goal(s): Use high-resolution MRI with 0.25mm2 matrix at 7T to assess ChP changes in MS patients compared to controls and explore correlations with lesion volumes. Approach: In 14 MS patients and 9 controls, ChPs were categorized into vascular and stromal compartments using 7T T2* imaging, and vessel-to-stroma ration was compared between the two groups. Results: The ChP's vessel-to-stroma ratio quantified by 7T T2*w MRI was lower in MS patients, correlating negatively with lesion volume. Furthermore, the age-related decline was more rapid in MS patients compared to controls. Impact: This pilot study suggests that the vessel-to-stroma ratio of ChP, as revealed by high-resolution 2D-GRE 7T T2* imaging, could potentially serve as an imaging marker for inflammatory and degenerative changes of ChP in MS patients.